Spiraea plant named ‘SMNSJSA’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Spiraea  plant named ‘SMNSJSA’, characterized by its compact, upright, outwardly spreading and mounding plant habit; vigorous growth habit and rapid growth rate; freely branching habit; dense and bushy habit; leaves that are initially reddish orange in color, becoming bright greenish yellow and eventually darker yellow green with development; inflorescences with numerous bright purplish red-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Spiraea japonica.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SMNSJSA’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Spiraea plant, botanically known as Spiraea japonica, commonly known as Japanese Spiraea and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘SMNSJSA’.

The new Spiraea plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Grand Haven, Mich. The objective of the breeding program is to develop new compact and mounding Spiraea plants with attractive leaves and numerous flowers.

The new Spiraea plant originated from an open-pollination in 2015 of an unnamed proprietary selection of Spiraea japonica, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Spiraea japonica, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Spiraea plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor in 2018 as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment in Grand Haven, Mich.

Asexual reproduction of the new Spiraea plant by softwood cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Grand Haven, Mich. since 2018 has shown that the unique features of this new Spiraea plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Spiraea have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘SMNSJSA’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘SMNSJSA’ as a new and distinct Spiraea plant:

-   -   1. Compact, upright, outwardly spreading and mounding plant         habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit and rapid growth rate.     -   3. Freely branching habit; dense and bushy habit.     -   4. Leaves that are initially reddish orange in color, becoming         bright greenish yellow and eventually darker yellow green with         development.     -   5. Inflorescences with numerous bright purplish red-colored         flowers.     -   6. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Spiraea can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Spiraea differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Leaves of plants of the new Spiraea are more vibrant in color         than plants of the female parent selection.     -   2. Flowers of plants of the new Spiraea are darker purplish red         in color than flowers of plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Spiraea can be compared to plants of the Spiraea japonica ‘NCSX1’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 28,313. Plants of the new Spiraea differ from plants of ‘NCSX1’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Spiraea have narrower leaves than plants of         ‘NCSX1’.     -   2. Fully expanded leaves of plants of the new Spiraea are yellow         green in color whereas fully expanded leaves of plants of         ‘NCSX1’ are bright yellow in color.     -   3. Flowers of plants of the new Spiraea are darker purplish red         than flowers of plants of ‘NCSX1’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Spiraea plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Spiraea plant.

The photograph on the first sheet (FIG. 1 ) is a side perspective view of a typical plant of ‘SMNSJSA’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet (FIG. 2 ) is a top perspective view of a typical plant of ‘SMNSJSA’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the third sheet (FIG. 3 ) is a close-up view of typical developing leaves of ‘SMNSJSA’.

The photograph on the fourth sheet (FIG. 4 ) is a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘SMNSJSA’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the spring and early summer in three-gallon containers in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse in Grand Haven, Mich. and under cultural practices typical of commercial Spiraea production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 27° C. and night temperatures ranged from ranged from 5° C. to 10° C. Plants were three years old when the photographs and detailed description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Spiraea japonica ‘SMNSJSA’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of             Spiraea japonica, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Spiraea             japonica, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By softwood cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About three weeks at             temperatures about 18° C. to 27° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About ten             weeks at temperatures about 18° C. to 27° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; typically             white in color, actual color of the roots is dependent on             substrate composition, water quality, fertilizer, substrate             temperature and physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Perennial shrub; compact,             upright, outwardly spreading and mounding plant habit;             vigorous growth habit and rapid growth rate.         -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit with about 30             lateral branches developing per plant; pinching (removal of             terminal apices) will enhance lateral branch development;             dense and bushy habit.         -   Plant height.—About 50 cm.         -   Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 65 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 40 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 3 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 1.5 cm.         -   Strength.—Strong.         -   Aspect.—About 30° to 80° from vertical.         -   Texture, developing.—Slightly pubescent.         -   Texture, developed.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Color, developing.—Close to 144C.         -   Color, developed.—Close to 165A. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate; simple.         -   Length.—About 4.5 cm.         -   Width.—About 2 cm.         -   Shape.—Lanceolate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Serrate.         -   Texture, upper surface.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Texture, lower surface.—Glabrous, prominent venation.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper and lower surfaces: Close to             173A and 173B becoming closer to 151D with development;             venation, close to 174B. Fully expanded leaves, upper             surface: Close to between 176B and 177A becoming closer to             166B and eventually, close to 144A with development;             venation, close to 144C. Fully expanded leaves, lower             surface: Close to 177B becoming closer to 138B with             development; venation, close to 144C.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 2 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Slightly pubescent. Color,             developing, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 174B. Color,             fully expanded, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144C. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower appearance and arrangement.—Single rotate flowers             arranged in terminal corymbs; freely flowering habit with             usually about 150 to 200 flowers per inflorescence; flowers             face upright to slightly outwardly depending on position on             inflorescence.         -   Natural flowering season.—Continuous flowering from late             spring through the summer (May through July) in Michigan;             flowers not persistent.         -   Fragrance.—Slightly fragrant, sweet.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 1.5 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 5 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 5 mm.         -   Flower depth.—About 3 mm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Shape: Orbicular. Color: Close to 182B.         -   Petals.—Quantity and arrangement: Five in a single whorl.             Length: About 2 mm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape: Orbicular.             Apex: Obtuse. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening             and fully opened, upper surface: Close to 71A. When opening             and fully opened, lower surface: Close to 77C and towards             the margins, close to 71A.         -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: Five in a single whorl;             fused at the base. Length: About 1 mm. Width: About 1 mm.             Shape: Deltoid. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening             and fully opened, upper surface: Close to 73D. When opening             and fully opened, lower surface: Close to 73D.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Strength: Strong. Aspect: About 45° from lateral branch             axis. Texture: Slightly pubescent. Color: Close to 145B.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Strength: Moderately strong. Aspect: About 45° from peduncle             axis. Texture: Slightly pubescent. Color: Close to 145B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Quantity per flower:             About 30. Filament length: About 3 mm. Filament color: Close             to 71A. Anther shape: Globose. Anther length: Less than             1 mm. Anther color: Close to 71A. Amount of pollen: Scarce.             Pollen color: Close to 155D. Gynoecium: Quantity per flower:             About five. Pistil length: About 2 mm. Style length: About             1.75 mm. Style color: Close to 71A. Stigma shape: Globose.             Stigma color: Close to 71A.         -   Seeds and fruits.—To date, seed and fruit development has             not been observed on plants of the new Spiraea. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Spiraea have been observed to     have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind and     temperatures ranging from about −31° C. to about 38° C. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Spiraea have     not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Spiraea plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Spiraea plant named ‘SMNSJSA’ as illustrated and described. 